Jack L. Harper

Various stocking rates were tested over a three year period for production of striped bass in culture ponds. Rates ranged from 10,000 to 160,000 fry per acre. Results indicate higher rates produced as high a percent yield as lower rates. Four food types were also tested during this period to determine which produced the best yields. Commercially prepared supplemental feeds did increase production over natural foods. Food habits data support earlier information that Copepoda, Cladocera and Insecta are important food organisms to juvenile striped bass.

Food of striped bass 10 mm. to 110 mm. standard length cultured at the State Fish Hatchery, Durant, Oklahoma was determined during the summer of 1967. Diet of fish in the 10 mm. to 30 mm. class consisted mainly of copepods, supplemented by cladocera and insects. After reaching 30 mm., bass utilized fewer copepods but more cladocera and more insects. Insects and c1adocera then formed the majority of the diet in fish from 60mm. to 100mm. Over two-thirds of the volume of planktonic crustacea eaten were Diaphanosoma sp. Other important crustacea were Diaptomus sp. and Daphnia sp. Fish...